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Doctors Begin Sharing Notes With Patients

October 22, 2012 at 4:59 pm

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BOSTON (CBS) — It’s a simple idea that could transform health care. Doctors are now sharing their notes with patients and some say it started in Boston. “It’s a way of getting people really actively involved in their health care, which is so vital to how they do whether they are healthy or whether they are ill,” says Dr. Tom Delbanco.

Dr. Delbanco and Jan Walker at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center launched this year-long study. They found when patients have access to their doctor’s notes they become better patients.

Patients say they felt more in control, understood their medical issues more clearly and up to 78 percent of patients said they were more likely to take their medications.

The study involved more than 100 doctors and 14,000 patients in Boston, Pennsylvania and Seattle. The team at Beth Israel is now pushing for hospitals across the country to give it a try. Dr. Delbanco is optimistic, “I think this will become the standard of care. Transparency is here to stay.”